Tool for making clip-type electrical connections



E. L. HADDEN Nov. 25, 1969 TOOL FOR MAKING CLIPTYPE ELECTRICALCONNECTlONS Filed Jan. 12, 1967 United States Patent O 3,479,719 TOOLFOR MAKING CLIP-TYPE ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS Edward Leal Hadden,Mechanicsburg, Pa., assignor to AMP Incorporated, Harrisburg, Pa. FiledJan. 12, 1967, Ser, No. 612,067 Int. Cl. H01r 3/00 U.S. Cl. 29-203 2Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Hand tool for making clip-typeelectrical connections has two concentrically arranged hpusings whichare telescopically movable with respect to each other when the terminalclip is pushed onto the terminal post. Tool has selective stop whichdetermines final position of clip on post in form of a cylinderrotatably mounted on the outside surface of the outer housingand-extending through aligned openings in the outer and inner housings.Stop has a plurality of shoulders which are located such that the innerhousing moves relatively againstone of the shoulders during thetelescoping movement of the housing to prevent further movement of theterminal clip along the terminal post.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Clip-type electrical connections areordinarily made by means of a tool having a reciproca'ble clip pushingdevice which pushes a terminal clip along a predetermined path, againsta transversely extending conductor, and onto the post. During movementof the clip; the end portion of the wire is stripped of its insulationand the stripped wire end is dragged by the clip onto the post. Whereonly one cliptype connection is made between a conductor and a terminalpost, the clip is ordinarily moved to a location adjacent to the base orlower end of the post. Where several clip-type connections are made to asingle terminal post, the clips are stacked one above the other on thepost. Since the clips are quite often relatively small, it is desirableto provide on the tool a stop device for abruptly stopping movement ofthe clip onto the post when it has reached the desired location. A stopof this type shrould be selective so that the first clip will bepositioned close to the base of the post and subsequent clips will bestacked in spaced relationship to previously applied clips. The presentinvention thus relates to an improved selective stop by means of whichthe location of the clip on the post can be accurately controlled.

The disclosed embodiment of the invention is particularly intended foruse with tools ofthe type disclosed in U.S. Patents 3,249,992 and3,220,099 Hand tools of these types generally comprise inner and outerhousing members which are telescopically movable with respect to eachother. The clip pushing device is secured to the outer housing member ina manner such that upon such telescopic movement of the two housings,the clip-is moved relatively through the tool, over the mandrel on theend of the tool, and onto the terminal post.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the disclosed embodiment ofthe invention, a cylindrical barrel-like member is rotatably mounted onthe surface of the outer housing of a tool of the type shown in U.S.Patent 3,220,099 in a manner such that it projects through alignedopenings in the outer and inner housings and intersects the path ofmovement of the inner housing. This stop member is provided with aplurality of transversely extending shoulders located at differentdistances from the end of the stop. Any one of the several shoulders canbe positioned in the path of move- 3,479,719 Patented Nov. 25, 1969 ICCment of the inner housing by rotatably indexing the barrel thereby tostop the relative movement of the housings with respect to each other atdifferent locations.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a terminal post having three clip-typeconnections thereon;

FIGURE 2 is a side view of a tool having a selective stop in accordancewith the invention; I I

FIGURE 3 is a view taken along the lines 3-3 of FIG,- URE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is an exploded perspective view of the stop in accordance withthe invention.

The disclosed embodiment of the invention is-provided on a tool of thetype disclosed in the above-identified Patents 3,249,992 and 3,220,099.Accordingly, the tool 18 will be described only to the extent necessaryfor an understanding of the instant invention with the understandingthat additional details of the structure of the tool are set forth inthe above-identified patent. In the interest of simplicity, thestructural elements of the tool described (with the exception of theadjustable stop) are identified by the same reference numerals,differentiated by prime marks, as are used in the above noted Patent3,220,099.

Referring first to FIGURE 1, a clip-type electrical connection between awire 16 and a post 12 are made by means of an open-sided clip having aweb 4 and sidewalls 6 which extend laterally from the web and arereversely curled so that they bear against one side of. the post. Thestripped end 14 of the wire 16 is contained between the inner surface ofthe web 4 and the surface of the post 12 with the insulated portion ofthe wire emerging from confined relationship through an insulationsupport or wire guide at the lower end of the clip as shown at10. Whenseveral clip-type connections are made to a single post as shown inFIGURE 1, it is desirable that the tool used to make the connections becontrolled in a manner such that when the first connection is made, theclip is moved to a location adjacent to the lower end of the post. Thetool should then move the second clip to a location immediately abovethe lowermost clip but should not move it into engagement with the clipbecause of the possibility of damage to the clip or the electricalconnections. The third clip must also be stopped at a location spacedabove the second clip. 1

A known type of hand tool 18 for making clip-type electrical connectionsas described more fully in U.S. Patent 3,220,099 comprises outer andinner housings 20', 22', these housings having handle extensions 24',26' and being telescopically movable with respect to each other to causemovement of a clip-pusher (not specifically shown but described in theabove-identified patent) relatively through the tool, through theforward extensions 28' of the inner housing, over the mandrel 42' at theend of the tool and onto the terminal post. Insulation is stri ped fromthe wire end, which is inserted downwardly into the forward end of thetool, as indicated, and into the mandrel. The slug or stripped end ofinsulation which is left in the tool can be ejected by means of asuitable ejector 53.

Referring to FIGURE 3, the inner and outer housing 20, 22 haverearwardly extending portions 23', 21' which project rightwardly, asviewed in the drawing, from the handle portions of the tool. Spacerblocks 66, 68', 70 are provided between the sidewalls of the innerhousing portion 23' at the right hand end thereof and the clip pusher issecured to these spacer blocks in a manner described in theabove-identified Patent 3,220,099. The outer housing portion 21' issecured to these spacer blocks by means of fasteners 72' which extendthrough holes in each side of the housing portion 21' through elongatedslots 70, 71 in the sides of the inner housing portion 23 and which arethreaded into the blocks 66', 68'. Spacers 73 are proouter hoiisihg walls' and t o perrnit tlie telescoping movement of the housing with respectto each other. By means of this arrangement, the clip pusher movesrelatively leftwardly as viewed in the drawing when the outer housingismoved relatively le'ftwardly. The position atwhichthe housings arestopped from further tele'scopic'movement with respectto each determinethe final positions of the clips on the terminal post. j I

The relative movement of the two housing members with respect to eachother is Controlled by means of a cylindrical selective fmember intheform of adrum 30 mounted in a b r'acket 32 secured against the side ofthe outer housing portion 21'. Bracket 32 has a base or web 34,parallelsides 36,38'and an ear 40 which extends from the side 36. Thisbracket is secured to the side of the outer housing portion 21' by'meansof one of the fasteners 72' which extends through the opening 43 and afastener 46 which exteuds'through the opening 44 in thebase 34. The drum30 has integral tn'lnnion portions 48, 48 which are received in holes52, 52' in the flanges 36, 38. Drum 30 is biased rightwardly as viewedin FIG- URE 3 by means of a leaf spring 50 mounted concentrically withrespect to the hole 52 and bearing against the lefthand side of the stopas viewed in FIGURE 3. The drum may be retained in any given position ofrotation by means of recesses 54 on its right hand side which areadapted to be entered by adimple 56 in the flange 36 adjacent to theopening 52. i i

' The lefthand portion of the drum member 30 as viewed in FIGURES 3 and4 is provided with chordal flats 58,

58, 60, 62 to denotethe position which will be occupied 'by the terminalclip being pushed onto the post. Thus, in FIGURE 2, the drum 30 is in aposition such that the numeral 2 on one of the flats faces outwardly.The operator then knows that the drum is set such that the terminal clipbeing applied to the post will be in the number 2 position, that is,above the lowermost clip on the post. p In use, the operator can thenexamine the terminal postto which he is about to make an electricalconnection and determine whether the connection being made will be the"first, second, or third connection to'the post. He then sets thecylindrical stop 30 so that the numerical indicator of the positionfaces outwardly and is visible on the side of the tool. He then goesthrough the operating cycle de scribed in detail in theabove-identifiedpatents to form the connection. The clip will, ofcourse, be stopped at the proper location aboutthe previously appliedclip or clis.

Jhanges in construction will occur to those skilled in the art andvarious apparently dilferent modifications and embodiments may be madewithout departing from the scope of the invention. The matter set forthin the foregoing description and accompanying drawings is ofiered by wayof illustration only. The actual scope of the invention is intended tobe defined in the following claims when viewed in their properperspective against the prior art.

What is claimed is:

1. In a hand tool for making clip-type electrical connections andcomprising inner and outer housings telescopically movable with respectto each other to move a terminal clip onto a terminal post, theimprovement comprising stop means in the form of a drum mounted on theexternal surface of said outer housing and projecting inwardly of saidtool beyond said inner housing, said drum having a plurality of fiatsurface portions defining stop shoulders positionable, upon rotation ofsaid drum, on the path of movement of said inner housing thereby to stoptelescoping movement of said housings and to locate a clip at apredetermined position on a terminal post to which it is being applied.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the axis of rotation of saiddrum extends parallel to the direction of telescoping movement of saidhousings, said flat surfaces comprising chordal surfaces on said drum.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,220,099 11/1965 Long 29-2033,249,992 5/1966 Long a 29-203 3,330,022 7/1967 Cobaugh 29203 THOMAS H.EAGER, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 29206

